Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1887-03-16
NOT so SUCCESSFUL.
Atmospheric OrdIti0ns Unfavor-
able for Mind Reading.

able for Mind Reading.
Prof. j. Randall Brown said last night
that the atmospheric conditions did not
seem favorable for satisfactory per-
torrance of his mind reading tests.
Perhaps the spectators erred, but it is GER
tain that number OF them did not have as
much faith in the so-calied mind reading
phenomena uDon leaving the Theatre last
night as they had the night before. To
start with tue audience was Onsiderably
smaller last night and the chances Of
making q wrong guess were lessened,
Notwithstanding MIR. Brown succeeded
in making m lie failures, although at
least one could not be considered far
test.
P. w. Meldrim, Esq, Alderman Her
man Myers, Mr.. j. Rnsenheim, y. Beck
with, Esq, and Mr.. DAVID W eisbein were
seected "a the committee. The first test
was TO find an article which Mr.. J. II.
Hunter hid. Mr.. Brown spent several
minutes trying to lind it and failed. My.
I. Il. Thompson next MD match
safe in the pocket of gentleman
back by the door. Mr.. Brown. blind
folded, led Mr.. Thompson almost directly
TO where the gentleman was sitting and
found the article. Judge William ID.
Harden and a youth were chosen for tue
next test, Tine Judge was asked to think
of some one in the audience. He teen
caught hold OF the lads arm and the ope-
rator did the same. Mr. Brown exclaimed
that he would try TO read Judge Harden's
mind through the Intervening party. The
search lasted a long time, and it con-
WINGED several that Prot. Brown gives the
correct explanation OF his faculty wnen
be says that it consists of seeing through
others eyes. He was blndfo ded as
usual, but be was two or three times de-
tected in an apparent attempt TO see
where his honor vas looking.
After one OF these apparent efforts he
started off suddenly, walked rapidly
around the house, carrying the two per-
sons with him, and was about to desig-
nate Mr.. Carl Brandt as the party
thought OF when that gentlemen suspect
Ing he had been selected got 10 and slip
ped away. Mr.. Brown immediately
turned and followed, but lost MIR. Brandt.
Judge Harden stated that Mr.. Brandt
was the party he thought Of.
Dir. Brandt was then invited to think
OF some one in the audience. After more
than five minutes manHuvreing through
the sisies Mr.. Brown confessed that he
had failed, but said that it was because
Mr.. Brandt had thought of him, Brown,
which Mr.. Brandt admitted.
The murder and robbery act was
given with a fair degree Of success, the
party who was assassinated being picked
out, and also the party to wnom the
stolen articles We're given. In telling
which of three knives was selected for
the mock murder Mir. Brown failed. The
knives were stuck about the room in diff
f@rent places by himself before he was
blIndfOlded. Each one was thrust
well into the wood. Mr.. Brown
very probably calculates that in a ma
jorlty OF instances the knife used Ill the
mock murder will not be stuck back in
tue wall so deeply as he did 1t. In pick
ing out the weapon used it was noticed
that he gently touched eacn one. I'm
luckily for Mr.. Brown the knife which
Mr. ROseuheim had used was stuck firmly
in the wall.
The next test was telling the number of
Mr.. Meldrim's watch. Mr.. Meldrim
went up into the gallery and held one end
of a piece of wire. Mr.. Brown held the
other end to his forehead, aud with many
tl1urishes wrote the number AZ 303 on one
Of the wings. When MIR. Meidrim came
down out OF the gal cry he stated that the
number was correct. That test was a
puzzler for the audience, and it vindicated
the mind reader for his previous failures
bv loudly applauding him. The perform
ance'closed with a repetition OF the ring
trick.
MI. Browns method of performing his
tests last night was strongly SUI gestive
of Juggling in different ways, and it was
calculated to impair the faith of the close
observer in the mind reading theory.
The most probable explanation OF
Mr.. Browns tricks is that he is
guided by his. subjects gaze and
the involuntary action of his muscles,
Neither of these theories will account for
his giving the number of Mr.. Meldrim's
watch. Mr.. Meldrim assured the audi
ence that Mr.. Brown could not possibly
have previously known the number.
The circumstances surrounding test
precisely similar which Mr.. Brown per-
formed in the presence of malt dozen
gentlemen. including representative OF
the MORNING NEWS, yesterday morning
without going into ga trance" suggest
that the professor in some manner did
obtain the number of Mr.. Meldrim's
watch without the owners knowledge
before the test.